It is often desirable to have an indication of how long replaceable components of devices, such as print cartridges of printers, have been operated, such as for warranty purposes. There are various ways to estimate or determine how long replaceable components have been operated. For example, one common method relies on the date of sale of the replaceable component, kept track of by record keeping e.g., using receipts, by resellers or retailers that involves handling of additional materials. Another method involves attaching an electronic memory chip to the replaceable component, such chips generally cannot be read in the field, e.g., by resellers or retailers, so they do not help determine how long the replaceable component has been operated. Some replaceable components have been evaluated that would provide a mechanical indicator of how long they have been operated, but these devices are easy to reset (e.g., they do not prevent fraud), and they add cost to the replaceable components. Sample printing is one way to determine how long a print cartridge has been operated, but retailers and resellers are often hesitant to have a customer bring in sample pages, and retailers and resellers usually do not maintain printers in their facilities such that they can generate print samples from any cartridge that may be returned.